- Counter-terror and metadata laws hit the House of Reps
- Clive Palmer and government reach deal on Direct Action
- Fuel excise set to start from November 10 with Senate approval
- Explicit emails and warped words rock both houses
Canberra got a new group of faceless men on Monday when protesters arrived wearing a niqab, KKK outfit and a bike helmet.
Sergio Redegalli, Nick Folkes and Victor Waterson were on their way to Parliament House, but were stopped and stripped of their costumes before they even made it to the door.
The “Faceless” stunt was meant to be a demonstration against people wearing burqas in public places, something supported by Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie.
Protesters wearing face coverings are seen outside Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, Oct. 27, 2014. Protesters of the 'Faceless' group came to Parliament House wearing face coverings advocating for a nationwide burqa ban. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
The outspoken Tasmanian released a draft bill on Tuesday, outlining new laws which would see people with face coverings in public fined up to $3,400.
Senator Lambie said the bill should pass or “our enemies will laugh at us” – luckily, common sense prevailed with many in the community already labelling it a joke.
Australia’s spies also poured cold water over Senator Lambie’s draft bill, after a leaked ASIO report stated there was such as the burqa.
Data, d*ckheads and foreign fighters
Meanwhile, the Foreign Fighters Bill passed in both the Senate and the House of Reps, bringing Australia's top spies closer to extended powers.
The bill – which could see people jailed for up to 10 years for travelling to designated no-go zones overseas – was opposed by the Greens, Nick Xenophon and David Leyonhjelm, the Liberal Democrat who last week called an Australian member of ISIS a “d*ckheads”.
Things weren’t going Senator Leyonhjelm’s way on Thursday either, with the introduction of a metadata retention bill.
The Senator was among the pollies hosting a “stop data retention” briefing the day before the introduction of the draft bill, which would require telecommunications companies to keep metadata for two years.
Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General Senator George Brandis during a press conference in Canberra, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. They commented on the Telecommunications Bill introduced im to parliament. (AAP Image/Alan Porritt)
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended the bill, saying such access played a “central role in almost every counter-terrorism, counterespionage, cyber security and organised crime investigation”.
‘Bowser bandit’ up to old alcopop tricks
And they’re not the only party the government is having trouble convincing. Abbott’s team came under fire from Labor after announcing it would sidestep the parliament and increase the fuel excise from next month.
The move – previously used by Labor to push through a tax on alcopops - means the average consumer will spend about 40 cents a week more on petrol from November 10.
Labor attacked the Tuesday announcement as sneaky, a slur also used against National MP Barnaby Joyce when it appeared he had altered the Hansard.
Opposition Labor MPs hold up the front page of the Herald Sun with the headline 'Bowser Bandit' during question time in the house of representatives at Parliament House Canberra, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014. (AAP Image/Alan Porritt)
However it turned out the Queenslander’s staff were at fault, altering the draft of his answer on drought support from “over 4000 applications” to “nearly 4000”.
It also became clear they added an entire phrase, altering the meaning of the answer and earning themselves some “counselling” from Mr Joyce.
Direct Action a go-go
But there is one political group playing ball with the government. The Direct Action policy got the greenlight with the support of the Palmer United Party, in the early hours of Friday morning.
PUP leader Clive Palmer backed the $2.55 billion climate policy, on the proviso that the Climate Change Authority is not abolished.
An inquiry into international emissions trading scheme was another stipulation, but Environment Minister Greg Hunt has ruled out adopting any such scheme.
Climate Change Authority chair Bernie Fraser, Environment minister Greg Hunt and Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer during a pressconference at Parliament House Canberra, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2014. The federal government and the PUP have agreed to a three stage , 18 month inquiry imto an emissioms trading scheme. (AAPImage/Alan Porritt)
Despite this, as well as the doubts from Labor and the Greens, Mr Palmer told reporters his party had "kept alive the emissions trading scheme".
The f-word, emails and explosion at Joe’s pizza place
Direct Action and the PUP’s push against university deregulation may have been the headlines, but the real news according to social media users were Mr Palmer’s insults.
No, it wasn’t him calling the ABC's Tony Jones “Australia’s greatest journalist” – it was his reference to the Prime Minister as a misogynist and labelling Queensland Premier Campbell Newman a “little Hitler”.
And it wasn’t just name calling that made politics a little bit personal this week.
We saw Julie Bishop announcing she doesn’t use the f-word and Joe Hockey spinning a story of his pizza place blow up. But it was Nova Peris' emotional address to the Senate that really hit a nerve this week.
The Labor Senator made headlines on Wednesday after NewsCorp outlets published what it claimed were explicit emails between her and Olympian Ato Boldon, alleging that she sought taxpayer funds to help pay for their affair.
Treasurer Joe Hockey appears dejected on the frontbench with his head in his hand while Prime Minister Tony Abbott touches his eye during question time in the house of representatives in parliament house, Canberra, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
The Olympic gold medallist spoke out on the leaked documents on Thursday, telling the Senate that the unverified emails were part of an extortion attempt.
“I categorically reject any wrongdoing,” she said.
“I have done nothing done. It pains me to have to talk about my private life”
The final bite
Debate on the higher education bill began this week, coinciding with Labor’s national campaign against the changes.
A campaign to raise the GST was also kicked off by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was threatened by member of the public Jan Olson during parliament on Tuesday. Olson was removed after shouting "we're coming after you".
Not really the mature discussion Mr Abbott was looking for.
Pollie Waffle returns next week on Friday, November 7.
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